Overview
- Cristiano Ronaldo was unavailable for Al‑Nassr’s game against Al‑Riyadh, with multiple outlets citing A Bola to report his absence was a deliberate protest.
- Al‑Nassr and local Saudi reports offered a different account, saying he had muscular discomfort and was advised to rest by the medical staff.
- Coverage links his discontent to the winter window, noting Al‑Nassr signed only 21‑year‑old Haydeer Abdulkareem while PIF‑backed rivals strengthened more aggressively.
- Reports add that recent cuts to the authority of two Portuguese executives close to Ronaldo, Simão Coutinho and José Semedo, deepened tensions inside the club.
- The dispute lands with the title race tight—Al‑Nassr trail Al‑Hilal by three points—and includes concern over a possible Al‑Hilal move for Karim Benzema, which is reported as a scenario Ronaldo opposes.